St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-08-20
Southern Agricultural.
IMPROVING THE SOIL

/ se.-
IMPROVING THE SOIL
o. q The Orsassst NssAs q souehsr
Soils Considered.
II the question was asked, what Il
the greatest need Of Southern soilsP''
probably the best answer would be-
hSmms. or vegetable mould. Analysis.
OF the subsoil. or that portion that lie
below the surface soil. and which i.
practically destitute Of vegetable mat
ter, show that the subsoils of the Soutl
compare favorably with those of tn,
most fertile prairie lands Of the West
In the percentage Of the inorganic Of
mineral elements Of fertility-phos
phorus. potassium. calcium. mag
nesium. iron. ETC.. from which are de
rived phosphoric acid. potash. lime,
ETC. That these elements are the
basis of all soil fertility is universally
admitted. Without their presence
in the soil (subsoiD. no land can be
brought up to profitable and per
manent condition Of productiveness by
additions from other sources. Even
the poorest soils that are cultivated
contain aggregate amounts Of phos-
phoric acid, potash and lime that will
astonish one who has never seen the
amount stated in pounds or tons and
the quantity in very rich soils is al.
most incredible Ono acre of very
rich soil. taken to the depth Of one
foot has been found 70 contain the fol-
lowing amounts Of the principal in
organic elements: Lime. 20 tons; pot
ash. Is tons; soda 81 tons; phos-
phoric acid. 8 tons
The percentage and aggregate Of
these elements present in an ordinary
or . poor soil are greatly less. of
course. but yet the amount of each
would reach into the tons These
figures will especially astound the
farmer who is accustomed to consider
few hundred pounds of commercial
fertilizers (gross) as . liberal applica-
ton per acre. Five hundred pounds
of high grade acid phosphate. for in
stance. would add only 60 to Is pounds
Of phosphoric acid to IN acre. assum-
ing the phosphate to analyze IL to Is
per cent available" But by far
the greater part Of the elements named
as present in the soil in 50 largo guam
titles is unavailable-i O.. insoluble,
and practically useless to . growing
crop. except ~ . store from which the
demands of the crop are slowly sup
piled BY chemical changes constantly
going on in the soil Then chemical
changes are induced and greatly pro-
NOTED by the presence of vegetable
matter in tho soil. The vegetable mat
tor must Of course be derived from the
previous vegetation springing from
and subsisting on the soil
Now, some plants possess the power
Of absorbing and digesting the crude
elements Of plant food already in the
soil in . peculiar and high degree.
Clover and peas and other leguminous
plants have this peculiarly; hence
The very general use of clover
In those sections Of the country
where it dourishes and the less
culture Of the pea in our
section. Clover requires lime in the
soil to give it . start and does not
Deem to succeed well in our climate of
ong summers. and particularly on
,andy or light soils The cow pea is
not 50 particular about soils IS clover.
While clover will succeed we'll in fully
,ne-half Of the cotton belt-in the
formation and limestone
COW pea is at home all
,ver the South. sad is aptly called the
clover of the South" As already
tated. these leguminous plants have .
'eculiar power Of assimilating the ele-
nents in the soil They send down their
cots in the subsoil. rich in stores
4 food that are largely unavaila-
lie to ordinary crops on account Of
heir chemical condition and their
lepth. and bring them up and organize
hem into the substance of their roots,
tenn and leaves. Not only this but
UGH plants draw largely upon the
torres of ammonia and carbonic acid
hat exist in the atmosphere. Then
ecaying upon the surface the plants
hus deposit these food elements Just
'here the crops Of corn, cotton. wheat, |
tc., can get them. and in just the form
a which the food will be most readily
valuable. This is. in short and with
ut the use of scientific terms and ex-
lanations. the theory Of the improve
TENT of the soil BY the growing Of |
crops. It is just the process
hat nature has been carrying on for |
ges. and which has resulted in
ne formation of soils fit for the growth
the present high order Of plants 1t
smains for man to continue the pro-
ess and accelerate the rate by the sub
tuition and cultivation of such plants
} are found to be better adapted to
10 purpose than the indigenous
rowth of weeds and wild plants The
Urinary crops grown upon our farms
ould carry on this process of soil i'm
were It not for the fact that
lch crops are largely removed from
,e soil; and for the additional reason
! the case of summer-plowed crops
lch Is corn and cotton-the soil is
Iposed to the fierce heat of the sun
i'd the teaching effects Of rains.
hero ID no doubt that sue
'ssion Of crops Of small grain on the
me land would steadily improve the
ii. provided no part Of the crop be
It would be exactly natures
,ocess that is particularly illustrated
| tho treeless prairies Of the West.
he same process goes on when worn or